SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 



To begin, get a piece of wood, any kind will do, $in. thick by 

 about 3in. wide, and in length just in. short of the distance from 

 the outside of the horns of the bow. This in. is to allow for 

 stretching, and to ensure the bow string fitting tightly. Now 

 procure two hanks of clock gut of about the thickness of the 

 " tail " gut of a violin. These hanks cost about gd. each. Wind 

 one lengthways over the board, joining the other on as near one 

 end of the board as you can. Tie an ordinary reef knot, taking 

 care to leave 3in. of the gut at each side of the knot. Finish off 

 by joining the other ends in a similar knot. It does not matter 

 if both knots happen to come at the same end of the board, but 

 it is better not to have them exactly alongside each other, as 

 that would make the end bulky. You will now have a hank of 

 about eight strands of gut. Previous to taking it off the board, 

 wind any kind of soft twine temporarily all round it about in. 

 between the turns. Now you can take it off the board, and put 

 it on the bow. 



This is rather an awkward job unless you have clamps and a 

 bastard string (for which see directions below), but it can be 

 done by fixing the bow in its stock, to a bench or a plank by iron 

 hooks, one at each side of the bow, and then taking a strong 

 rope, or, better still, some soft thick iron wire, and attaching it 

 to the bow as near each extremity as you can, but not within the 

 horns. Then bore a hole at a suitable distance in the bench or 

 plank ; take a strong iron bar, and, using it as a lever, bend the 

 bow by the rope or wire till you can slip your gut hank on the 

 horns. 



If you use a wire bastard string, and can wedge it from slipping 

 up the bow, you may have it quite short, and can bend the bow by 

 its own lever ; or you can fasten a hand vice at each extremity of 

 the bow, and fix your wire or bastard string to these. If you use 

 a bar, let it be a strong one. I once bent an old musket barrel to 

 the form of the letter " S " in getting a string on. 



xi 



Bastard string clamp, with bolts and " wing " nuts, about \ size ; 

 two are required. 



